Golf club with improved weighting

ABSTRACT

A plurality of two or more golf clubs with improved weighting characteristics is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention discloses a specific relationship between the mass M club  of the golf club and the length L club  to help improve the performance of the golf club. In addition to the above, the present invention also discloses a change to the balance point of the shaft to help compensate for the change in mass M shaft  of the shaft and the length L shaft  of the shaft to maintain a desirable swing weight.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/683,442, filed Apr. 10, 2015, which is a continuation-in-part(CIP) of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/632,933, filedon Feb. 26, 2015, the disclosures of which is incorporated by referencein its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a set of golf clubs withimproved weighting characteristics. More specifically, the presentinvention relates a plurality of two or more golf clubs that createsincreases in mass as the clubs get shorter in length. This inverserelationship between the length of the club and the mass of the clubhelps improve the performance of the set of golf club heads by creatinga lighter softer shaft for longer golf clubs while creating a heavierstiffer shaft for shorter irons. The present invention achieves this byfocusing its attention on adjusting the mass of the shaft portion of thegolf club to create the desired results. However, it should be notedthat because the shaft is ultimately only a component of a golf club,the focus of the present invention is directed at a golf club withimproved weighting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A golf club contains several key components, all of which can affect theoverall performance of a golf club head. Although most golf clubimprovements focus on the club head portion of the golf club,significant improvements can be made to other portions of the golf clubas well.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,175,538 to Miller illustrates one of these examples ofimprovements to other portions of the golf club head by focusing itsattention on the grip of the golf club. U.S. Pat. No. 7,175,538 providesa golf club grip having the diameter of the grip progressively reducedfrom one the butt end to the opposing end.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,721 to Johnson et al. illustrates another example ofan improvement to a golf club head by focusing on the ferrule of thegolf club. U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,721 provides a ferrule for a golf clubthat has at least one raised element with a top surface and a secondmember molded about the first member to surround the raised element toprovide logo display or indicia.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,422 to Honma provides an example of an improvementto the shaft portion of the golf club head. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,422the inventor taught a shaft for golf club which can exhibit a vibrationcharacteristic of a steel shaft without imparting the characteristics ofa carbon shaft. The inventor does this by creating metal fibersincorporated in an outer layer portion of a carbon shaft with a specificdirection of metal fiber orientation.

The present invention focuses on improving the performance of the golfclub itself by adjusting, among many other factors, the shaft portion ofthe golf club. It utilizes a very specific relationship between thelength of the golf club together with the overall mass of the golf clubto create a set of golf club with improved performance throughout theentire set of golf clubs.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention is a golf club comprising of aclub head located at a distal end of said golf club, a grip located at aproximal end of said golf club, and a shaft, juxtaposed between the clubhead and the grip, connecting the club head to the grip, wherein themass M_(club) of the golf club decreases with an increase in a lengthL_(club) of said golf club in accordance with the relationship,M_(club)≧−20.691 L_(club)+1201.5.

In another aspect of the present invention is a plurality of golf clubscomprising of a first golf club having a length greater than about 38inches having a first mass, a second golf club having a length ofbetween about 36 to 38 inches having a second mass, and a third golfclub having a length of less than about 36 inches having a third mass,wherein the first mass is less than the second mass and the second massis less than the third mass, and wherein said first, second, and thirdgolf club all have individual shafts that have a mass that satisfies theequation M_(shaft)≧−6 L_(shaft)+347.

In another aspect of the present invention, the golf club shaft couldhave a balance point that changes as a function of the length of theshaft according to the relationship Balance Point_(shaft) (%)≧0.1L_(shaft)+26.33.

In another aspect of the present invention, the golf club shaft couldhave a tip frequency that changes as a function of the length of theshaft according to the relationship Tip Frequency_(shaft) (CPM)≦−15L_(shaft)+2367.5.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with references to the followingdrawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description of the invention as illustratedin the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, which areincorporated herein and form a part of the specification, further serveto explain the principles of the invention and to enable a personskilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention.

FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawing shows a perspective view of long-irongolf club shaft in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings shows a perspective view of amid-iron golf club shaft in accordance with an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings shows a perspective view of ashort-iron golf club shaft in accordance with an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings shows a perspective view of along-iron, a mid-iron, and a short-iron shaft, all in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention, all next to one another;and

FIG. 5 of the accompanying drawings shows a perspective view of threegolf clubs within a set of golf clubs complete with individualcomponents such as the golf club head, the golf club shaft, and the golfclub grip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be takenin a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustratingthe general principles of the invention, since the scope of theinvention is best defined by the appended claims.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be usedindependently of one another or in combination with other features.However, any single inventive feature may not address any or all of theproblems discussed above or may only address one of the problemsdiscussed above. Further, one or more of the problems discussed abovemay not be fully addressed by any of the features described below.

Due to the fact that one of the ways the present invention achieves theimprovement in overall club performance improvements by adjusting themass M_(shaft) of the golf club shaft as a function of the lengthL_(shaft) of the shaft, the discussion below will begin by focusing onthe shaft portion of the golf club. However, because the overallperformance of the golf club is what the present invention is ultimatelyfocused on, the latter portion of this discussion will then shift tofocus on the length L_(club) of the golf club and the mass M_(club) ofthe golf club.

One of the ways to achieve the desired overall club mass is by adjustingthe mass M_(shaft) of the shaft as the length L_(shaft) of the shaftchanges. More specifically, the present invention creates a veryspecific relationship between the M_(shaft) and the L_(shaft) thatcreates an increase in the golf club mass M_(shaft) as the lengthL_(shaft) decreases.

FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a perspective view of a golfclub shaft 100 of a long-iron in accordance with an exemplary embodimentof the present invention. Here, the golf club shaft 100 has a first end,a second end, an inner diameter, and an outer diameter. The first end ofthe shaft may generally relate to the portion with a larger outerdiameter, adapted to be connected to the grip, while the second end maygenerally relate to the portion with a smaller outer diameter, adaptedto be connected to the club head. The present invention, in order toimprove the performance of a golf club via the golf club shaft 100, hascreated a specific relationship between a length L_(shaft) of the golfclub shaft 100 as a function to the mass M_(shaft) of the golf clubshaft 100. More specifically, the relationship created between thelength L_(shaft) of the golf club shaft 100 and the mass of the golfclub shaft 100 is inversed, meaning a decrease in the length L_(shaft)of the golf club shaft 100 will equate to an increase in the massM_(shaft) of the golf club shaft 100. In one exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, this inverse relationship between the lengthL_(shaft) and the mass M_(shaft) can be quantified by equation (1)below:

M _(shaft)≧−6L _(shaft)+347   Eq. (1)

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the long-iron golfclub shaft 100 may have a length L_(shaft) of about 40.5 inches and massM_(shaft) of greater than about 104 grams. In another exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, the long-iron golf club shaft 100may have a length L_(shaft) of about 40 inches and a mass M_(shaft) ofgreater than about 107 grams. In another exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, the long-iron golf club shaft 100 may have a lengthL_(shaft) of about 39.5 inches and a mass M_(shaft) of greater thanabout 110 grams. In another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, the long-iron golf club shaft 100 may have a length L_(shaft)of about 39 inches and a mass M_(shaft) of greater than about 113 grams.

In order to achieve the relationship between shaft length L_(shaft) andmass M_(shaft) above, the present invention utilizes different internaland external shaft profiles to help achieve this goal. In the currentexemplary embodiment, section 101 may have an outer diameter of about0.60 in, section 102 may have an outer diameter of about 0.59 in,section 104 may have an outer diameter of about 0.575 in, section 106may have an outer diameter of about 0.56 in, section 108 may have anouter diameter of about 0.545 in, section 110 may have an outer diameterof about 0.530 in, section 112 may have an outer diameter of about 0.515in, section 114 may have an outer diameter of about 0.500 in, section116 may have an outer diameter of about 0.485 in, section 118 may havean outer diameter of about 0.470 in, section 120 may have an outerdiameter of about 0.450 in, section 122 may have an outer diameter ofabout 0.430 in, section 124 may have an outer diameter of about 0.410in, section 126 may have an outer diameter of about 0.395 in, andsection 128 may have an outer diameter that tapers at a rate of about0.0075 in/in until the shaft 100 reaches an outer diameter of about0.355 inches.

Finally, it should be noted here that the outer profile of the golf clubshaft 100 is stepped in its outer diameter profile, which can helpprovide the amount of mass adjustment needed for the current invention.However, the outer profiles of the golf club shaft 100 can becontinuously tapered, parallel, or any other geometry or even alternatematerials all without departing from the scope and content of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings shows a perspective view of a golfclub shaft 200 of a mid-iron in accordance with an exemplary embodimentof the present invention. The mid-irons, similar to long-irons, have aninverse relationship between the length L_(shaft) and the mass M_(shaft)resulting in a similar relationship established above in Equation (1).In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mid-iron golfclub shaft 200 may have a length L_(shaft) of about 38.5 inches and massM_(shaft) of greater than about 116 grams. In another exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, the mid-iron golf club shaft 200may have a length L_(shaft) of about 38 inches and a mass M_(shaft) ofgreater than about 119 grams. In another exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, the mid-iron golf club shaft 200 may have a lengthL_(shaft) of about 37.5 inches and a mass M_(shaft) of greater thanabout 122 grams.

In order to achieve the relationship between shaft length L_(shaft) andmass M_(shaft) above, the present invention may have a section 201 withan outer diameter of about 0.600 in, a section 202 with an outerdiameter of about 0.585 in, a section 204 with an outer diameter ofabout 0.568 in, a section 206 with an outer diameter of about 0.553 in,a section 208 with an outer diameter of about 0.538 in, a section 210with an outer diameter of about 0.523 in, a section 212 with an outerdiameter of about 0.508, a section 214 with an outer diameter of about0.493 in, a section 216 with an outer diameter of about 0.478 in, asection 218 with an outer diameter of about 0.463 in, a section 220 withan outer diameter of about 0.445 in, a section 222 with an outerdiameter of about 0.430 in, a section 224 with an outer diameter ofabout 0.410 in, a section 226 with an outer diameter of about 0.395 in,and section 228 may have an outer diameter that tapers a rate of about0.0075 in/in until the shaft 200 reaches an outer diameter of about0.355 inches.

FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings shows a perspective view of a golfclub shaft 300 of a short-iron in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention. The short-irons, similar tolong-irons and mid-irons, have an inverse relationship between thelength L_(shaft) and the mass M_(shaft) resulting in a similarrelationship established above in Equation (1). In one exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, the short-iron golf club shaft 300may have a length L_(shaft) of about 37.0 inches and mass M_(shaft) ofgreater than about 125 grams. In another exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, the short-iron golf club shaft 300 may have a lengthL_(shaft) of about 36.5 inches and a mass M_(shaft) of greater thanabout 128 grams.

In order to achieve the relationship between shaft length L_(shaft) andmass M_(shaft) above, the present invention may have a section 301 withan outer diameter of about 0.580 in, a section 302 with an outerdiameter of about 0.560 in, a section 304 with an outer diameter ofabout 0.545 in, a section 306 with an outer diameter of about 0.530 in,a section 308 with an outer diameter of about 0.515 in, a section 310with an outer diameter of about 0.500 in, a section 312 with an outerdiameter of about 0.485, a section 314 with an outer diameter of about0.470 in, a section 316 with an outer diameter of about 0.445 in, asection 318 with an outer diameter of about 0.440 in, a section 320 withan outer diameter of about 0.425 in, a section 322 with an outerdiameter of about 0.410 in, a section 324 with an outer diameter ofabout 0.395 in, a section 226 with an outer diameter of about 0.395 in,and section 328 may have an outer diameter that tapers a rate of about0.0075 in/in until the shaft 300 reaches an outer diameter of about0.355 inches.

Although the above embodiment shows a stepped iron type golf club shaftfor the long-irons, the mid-irons and the short-irons, the externalprofile need not be stepped. In fact, in alternative embodiments of thepresent invention the wall profile of the shaft may be constantlytapering, rifled, or any other profile without departing from the scopeand content of the present invention so long as it achieves therelationship established in Equation (1). In fact, the material of theiron may not even need to be steel, and could be wood, carbon fiber, orany other type of material suitable for a golf club shaft also withoutdeparting from the scope and content of the present invention.

Before the discussion here moves onto the actual golf club assemblyitself, it is worth noting additional key features of the present golfclub shaft that makes the present invention unique. First off, inaddition to the weighting and diameter above, the inventive golf clubshaft in accordance with the present invention will have a balance pointthat deceases as the length of the shaft gets shorter. Balance point, ascommonly known in the industry, relates to the point where the center ofgravity of the golf club shaft is concentrated, thus allowing the golfclub to be balanced at that point. Balance point, in most commonscenarios is defined as a percentage of the total club distance,measured from the butt end of the shaft. Thus, for example, a golf clubshaft with a balance point of 50% and a length of 40 inches, willbalance itself at a distance of 20 inches from the butt end. In anotherexample, a golf club shaft with a balance point of 40% and a length of40 inches, will balance itself at a distance of 16 inches from the buttend. Ultimately, it can be said that the slope of the trend line createdby the relationship between the balance point and the length of theshaft may generally be governed by Equation (2) below,

Balance Point_(shaft)(%) 0.1L _(shaft)+26.33   Eq. (2)

more preferably governed by Equation (3) below,

Balance Point_(shaft)(%) 0.3L _(shaft)+26.33   Eq. (3)

and most preferably governed by Equation (4) below,

Balance Point_(shaft)(%)0.5L _(shaft)+26.33   Eq. (4)

Having a balance point location that changes with respect to a change inshaft length is important to the present invention because as the massof the shafts go up, the swing weight of the golf club could beadversely affected if the balance point is not adjusted. Althoughchanges in swing weight of a golf club could be subtle side effects ofcan often go ignored, recognizing this important side effect andaddressing it by adjusting the balance point is critical to the properfunctionality of the present invention.

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the golf clubshaft may have a length of 40.5 inches with a balance point of 51.46%, alength of 40 inches with a balance point of 51.25%, a length of 39.5inches with a balance point of 50.76%, a length of 39 inches with abalance point of 50.33%, a length of 38.5 inches with a balance point of50.03%, a length of 38 inches with a balance point of 50.03%, a lengthof 37.5 inches with a balance point of 49.2%, a length of 37 inches witha balance point of 49.24%, and finally a length of 36.5 inches with abalance point of 49.18%.

In addition to the balance point identified above, the present inventionincorporates another important feature that works in conjunction withthe mass of the golf club head changing throughout a set of golf clubsto further improve the performance of the golf club head. In the currentexemplary embodiment, as shown above, the mass of the golf club headincreases as the length of the golf club shaft gets shorter. However, inorder to help preserve the performance of these irons in certainsituations where the walls need to be thinned, the present inventionincreases the overall tip frequency of these golf club heads to improveperformance. In one exemplary embodiment a golf club having a length of40.5 inches will have a tip frequency of 808 CPM (Cycles Per Minutes), agolf club shaft having a length of 40 inches will have a tip frequencyof 867 CPM, a golf club shaft having a length of 39.5 inches will have atip frequency of 860 CPM, a golf club shaft having a length of 39 incheswill have a tip frequency of 878 CPM, a golf club shaft having a lengthof 38.5 inches will have a tip frequency of 879 CPM, a golf club shafthaving a length of 38 inches will have a tip frequency of 952 CPM, agolf club shaft having a length of 37.5 inches will have a tip frequencyof 945 CPM, a golf club shaft having a length of 37 inches will have atip frequency of 936 CPM, and a golf club shaft having a length of 36.5inches will have a tip frequency of 981 CPM.

Based on the information above, it can be said that a shaft inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention maygenerally have a higher tip frequency than a traditional shaft that hassimilar weighting characteristics. In addition to having a higher tipfrequency, it can be said that the relationship between the tipfrequency and the length of the shaft may generally be governed byEquation (5) below,

Tip Frequency_(shaft)(CPM)≦−15L _(shaft)+2367.5   Eq. (5)

more preferably governed by Equation (6) below,

Tip Frequency_(shaft)(CPM)≦−20L _(shaft)+2367.5   Eq. (6)

and most preferably governed by Equation (7) below,

Tip Frequency_(shaft)(CPM)≦−30L _(shaft)+2367.5   Eq. (7)

FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings shows a perspective view of allthree of the shafts discussed earlier, the long-iron shaft 100, themid-iron shaft 200, and the short-iron shaft 300 next to one another foran illustration of the relative length of one another.

Finally, returning to the discussion regarding the golf club itself,FIG. 5 of the accompanying drawings shows a perspective view of allthree golf club shafts 100, 200, and 300 being connected to theirrespective components. This illustration will bring the entire inventiontogether in establishing a relationship between the overall club lengthL_(club) of the golf clubs 107, 207, and 307 and the overall club massM_(club) can be established. It is important to establish thecriticality of the discussion focusing on the overall club mass M_(club)as well as the overall club length L_(club) because that specificrelationship is the one that controls performance. Returning to FIG. 5we can see that the overall club mass M_(club) as well as the overallclub length L_(club) are all functions of three main components, theclub head 103, 203 and 303, the shaft 100, 200, and 300, as well as thegrip 105, 205, and 305. Taking into consideration of these components,the following relationship can be established as shown by Equation (8)below:

M _(club)≧−20.691L _(club)+1201.5   Eq. (8)

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention the golf clubs 107,207, and 307 may have a length L_(club) of about 39 inches and massM_(club) of greater than about 396 grams. In another exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, invention the golf clubs 107, 207,and 307 may have a length L_(club) of about 38.5 inches and massM_(club) of greater than about 405 grams. In another exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, invention the golf clubs 107, 207,and 307 may have a length L_(club) of about 38 inches and mass M_(club)of greater than about 415 grams. In another exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, invention the golf clubs 107, 207, and 307 may have alength L_(club) of about 37.5 inches and mass M_(club) of greater thanabout 424 grams. In another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, invention the golf clubs 107, 207, and 307 may have a lengthL_(club) of about 37 inches and mass M_(club) of greater than about 435grams. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention,invention the golf clubs 107, 207, and 307 may have a length L_(club) ofabout 36.5 inches and mass M_(club) of greater than about 446 grams. Inanother exemplary embodiment of the present invention, invention thegolf clubs 107, 207, and 307 may have a length L_(club) of about 36inches and mass M_(club) of greater than about 456 grams.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, invention thegolf clubs 107, 207, and 307 may have a length L_(club) of about 35.75inches and mass M_(club) of greater than about 464 grams.

Based on the above, it can be seen that if you have a plurality of twoor more of golf clubs in a set of golf clubs, there will be arelationship established between the mass M_(club) and the overall clublength L_(club) such that the longer clubs will be lighter while theshorter clubs will be heavier. In addition to the above, although theabove discussion is directed at a set of iron type golf clubs, thisprogressive relationship could be applied across an entire set of golfclubs from a driver of up to 48 inches down to a putter down to 32inches, all without departing from the scope and content of the presentinvention.

It should be noted that although the dominant contributor to theadjustment in overall club mass M_(club) and the overall club lengthL_(club) may be the shaft mass M_(shaft) and the shaft length L_(shaft),the other components are just as important in contributing in creatingthe relationship articulated above in Equation (2). In fact, adjustmentscould be made to the club head 103, 203 and 303 as well as the grip 105,205, and 305 to achieve the relationship articulated above in Equation(2) without departing from the scope and content of the presentinvention.

Alternatively, it can be said that the present invention relates to aplurality of golf clubs having a first golf club having a length greaterthan 38 inches, a second golf club having a length of between about 36to 38 inches, and a third golf club having a length less than about 36inches. The first golf club will generally have the lightest mass with afirst mass, while the second golf club will generally have a mass thatis heavier than the first mass, with the third golf club having a thirdmass, which is greater than the first mass and the second mass.Ultimately, the specific relationship created between the mass and thelength of the golf club is beneficial in helping improve the performanceof the golf club, despite its counter-intuitive nature. Generallyspeaking, when a golf club is shorter, the mass of the golf club shaftdecreases when a uniform material shaft is trimmed. This antiquatedwisdom leaves the golf club shaft to be heaviest at higher lofts andlighter at lower lofts. The present invention improves upon thismethodology by reversing the conventional thinking with a moreperformance based design approach. In order to help golfers swing thelongest golf club in their bag the best, it is beneficial to help reducethe mass of the golf club in those longer clubs, which ultimatelyresults in an increase in the mass of the shorter irons. The presentinvention takes advantage of that unconventional methodology and hascreated a very specific relationship for those variable.

Other than in the operating example, or unless otherwise expresslyspecified, all of the numerical ranges, amounts, values and percentagessuch as those for amounts of materials, moment of inertias, center ofgravity locations, loft, draft angles, various performance ratios, andothers in the aforementioned portions of the specification may be readas if prefaced by the word “about” even though the term “about” may notexpressly appear in the value, amount, or range. Accordingly, unlessindicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in thepreceding specification and attached claims are approximations that mayvary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by thepresent invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit theapplication of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims,each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of thenumber of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary roundingtechniques.

Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forththe broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numericalvalues set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely aspossible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certainerrors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in theirrespective testing measurements. Furthermore, when numerical ranges ofvarying scope are set forth herein, it is contemplated that anycombination of these values inclusive of the recited values may be used.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the present invention and that modificationsmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas set forth in the following claims.

1. A plurality of golf club shafts comprising: a first golf club shafthaving a length of greater than about 39.5 inches having a first shaftmass; a second golf club shaft having a length of between about 37.5inches to 39.5 inches having a second shaft mass; a third golf clubshaft having a length of less than about 37.5 inches having a thirdshaft mass; wherein the first shaft mass is less than said second shaftmass and said second shaft mass is less than said third shaft mass;wherein said first golf club shaft, said second golf club shaft, andsaid third golf club shaft, all have a Balance Point_(shaft) thatincreases as the length L_(shaft) increases according to therelationship, Balance Point_(shaft) (%)≧L_(shaft)+26.33.
 2. Theplurality of golf club shafts of claim 1, wherein said relationshipbetween said Balance Point_(shaft) and said length L_(shaft) is,Balance Point_(shaft)(%)≧0.3 L _(shaft)+26.33.
 3. The plurality of golfclub shafts of claim 2, wherein said relationship between said BalancePoint_(shaft) and said length L_(shaft) is,Balance Point_(shaft)(%)≧0.5 L _(shaft)+26.33.
 4. The plurality of golfclub shafts of claim 1, wherein a relationship between said first shaftmass, said second shaft mass, and said third shaft mass and theirrespective shaft length is, M_(shaft)≧−6 L_(shaft)+347; wherein a massM_(shaft) of said shaft decreases with an increase in a length L_(shaft)of said shaft.
 5. The plurality of claim 1, wherein the mass of eachgolf club shaft within said plurality of golf club shafts decreases withan increase in the length L_(shaft) of the shaft.
 6. The plurality ofgolf club shafts of claim 5, wherein said first shaft, said secondshaft, and said third shaft all have a tip _(shaft) frequency thatdecreases inversely with an increase in length L_(shaft) according tothe relationship,Tip Frequency_(shaft)(CPM)≦−15L _(shaft)+2367.5.
 7. The plurality ofgolf club shafts of claim 1, wherein each golf club shaft within saidplurality of golf club shafts has a tip frequency_(shaft) that decreasesinversely with an increase in length L_(shaft) according to therelationship,Tip Frequency_(shaft)(CPM)≦−20L _(shaft)+2367.5.
 8. The plurality ofgolf club shafts of claim 7, wherein each golf club shaft within saidplurality of golf club shafts has a tip frequency_(shaft) that decreasesinversely with an increase in length L_(shaft) according to therelationship,Tip Frequency_(shaft)(CPM)≦−30L _(shaft)+2367.5.